One more week!
Pardon my absence. I’ve been damn busy this past week, and its going to get alot worse. I have alot of things going on right now which are hard to write about for various reasons.
Sorry for not getting to my email like I normally do. I appreciate all the comments and the advice on the leg thing especially.
We’ve also had some site difficulties involving some three letter acronyms (TLA’s), but it looks like most of it is fixed for now. Just some growing pains after the move to the new host.
I had a 10 miler on Saturday which went pretty well. I’m still getting that pain on my leg. This time it didn’t hit me until mile 5, which is an improvement. I’ve begun taking ibuprofin after the run to see if it helps at all. Maybe it does, I’m not sure.
Oh yes, and to all the hunter’s out there shooting animals for fur in the Pinckney Recreation Area, after you are done skinning the raccoons, please move the carcass off the trail. Yes, its biodegradable, but the hikers, bikers, and runners don’t want to watch the degredation process. And while you’re at it, pick up your friggin’ empty shells too. Pigs.
I had an hour of crosstraining today, and everything was very tight. I think the crosstraining worked out alot of the stiffness though. I feel pretty good right now. Late last week I was getting that sharp pain in my shin, about the size of a quarter. Painful to run on and painful to press with my hand. That exact same pain had made me think of a stress fracture last time. This time I know it will cost me $25 to have the MD send me for an Xray (which shows nothing for stress fractures) and then say there’s no stress fracture. Thanks, Doc. You’re a friggin’ genius.
So I’m just toughing it out. A little massage seems to help relieve it. Lately I’ve been shying away from the ice though. In the winter it just makes me feel so cold. I’m not sure when I got so wimpy about the cold. The mild winter has spoiled me.
Seven more days till Around the Bay. For those who don’t know, this is the 30K that I’m training for. Its in Hamilton Ontario and it has a giant hill at the end that has claimed the lives of thousands of runners in years past. Well, maybe its not that bad, but I hear its a big hill.
I need to get some gel bought for the race. And I need to make some chocolate. Speaking of which, I failed already in my Lenten promise. Last night I had a bite of chocolate chip cookie. Didn’t even realize I had done it until someone asked me about the chocolate in it. I threw the rest away but I did eat one bite. :(
Pace. I still don’t know what pace to run this race at. I know that sounds stupid because my training should be geared towards that. Well, the training is either on the dreadmill or in the woods. The race is on the road. No good comparisons. My trail pace is around 10:00 and the ‘mill is between 9:30 and 9:15. Maybe I should aim for 9:00? That’s what I was targeting for Detroit (initially anyway).
If I use McMillan’s calculator to calculate my target pace, and figure in my Detroit time, I get a 10:37 pace, but that’s not so accurate because I don’t plan to fall apart and walk the last 4 miles of this race (well, technically I didn’t plan it for Detroit either). If I base it on New Haven (which was just a total dream race for me) I get an 8:28 target pace. But again, that was a total dream run and may represent the high end of paces. Looking at these two extremes, I’m going to stick with the 9:00 pace initially and see how I feel. If I feel good and happy, maybe I’ll pick it up. If I feel lousy, I’m stopping for a bagel at Tim Horton’s.
Oh yeah, and speaking of running, I was running through the Philadelphia airport this week. My plane didn’t hit the gate until 9:20 (something like that) and they had already begun boarding my connecting flight in the next terminal. Run through the airport, pack into the shuttle bus (I was standing forward of the white line, heh, heh), then RUN LIKE THE WIND to my gate. I was dodging in and out of people and even overtook the skinny highschool girls running ahead of me. They stopped to rest. Even carrying my luggage I still made the gate. I walked on and they closed the door behind me. Just an amazing sprint. If my race in Hamilton goes that well, I’m golden. :)
I hope you all are having a great week running or whatever you’re doing this week.
March 19th, 2006 22:02
Are we going to get to meet in Hamilton? I have no idea about the pace or the fuel or…about 100 other things. I’m just going to go and run and hope for the best. be well this week.
March 19th, 2006 23:39
Wow, throwing away a bitten cookie - THAT’s willpower! I think our forgiving god can pardon that one bite, since you’ve obviously repented.
And it’s always cool when one can put one’s hobby to a really practical use - like making plane connections. Way to go!
March 20th, 2006 01:31
I think the sprint through the airport counts as crosstraining. In any case it’s a good feeling when you “can” sprint through the airport without dying of exhaustion!
March 20th, 2006 08:37
Are TLA’s anything like TPS reports? (Did you get the memo…?)
Good luck next week in Hamilton!
March 20th, 2006 10:21
nice job on the airport sprint :) wow, what willpower,, I am sure your forgiven for that one bite!! It was a automatic reaction to having a cookie appear.
March 20th, 2006 12:11
You are golden already! Have a good week and a great trip up here to Canada eh!
March 20th, 2006 15:39
konnichiwa!! good luck Around the Bay. Baby the leg this week!! run fast!!! (but not too fast at the beginning of course!) sounds like a good plan.
syanora!
March 20th, 2006 16:52
Are you going to see Lara at the Around the Bay? What fun! And pains–David just found out he has a tendon running across a bone spur in his foot causing problems. That’s a new one for me:)
March 20th, 2006 19:50
hah! did you see alison running in the airport, too? you guys need to start up an airport running club. =)
March 21st, 2006 06:09
Hey, take it easy on the leg this week, and good luck in Hamilton. My wife has some long-lost relatives in Hamilton. Or I guess she’s the long-lost one. And putting down a cookie after one bite? Impressive.
March 21st, 2006 12:00
I missed you and your rants!
March 21st, 2006 14:14
you are being too hard on yourself. you’re fogetting the 11th comandment… thou shalt eat chocolate at thy whim, blah blah blah…
March 21st, 2006 22:24
way to smoke those high school girls!! You da man! I just saw St. Ralph. He WON Around the Bay!! Of course, he is imaginary. But still. You’ve been so good this lent. I’m inspired. And feeling guilty about those chocolate covered soy nuts I just ate…but wait, that was your resolution, not mine. HEY GOOD LUCK AT THE RACE!!!
March 22nd, 2006 00:14
TLA - true love always? I too can’t believe you threw out the cookie. Man! I’m impressed. And you’re gonna do great at Hamilton. Just remember, the hill is your friend, don’t let it drive up your heart rate. Go, Jon, Go!
March 22nd, 2006 07:04
Good luck with Around the Bay! It sounds like an awesome race and def one I want to do one day!
You’re going to do awesome! Just think how much faster you’ll be w/o luggage!
March 22nd, 2006 08:53
Cold and Lent: Somewhere along the line I’ve also become a complete wuss about the cold. I definitely don’t like it scorching hot, but even when the temps are in the 30’s now I find myself shivering. Lent - one bite? Seriously? Your discipline is to be admired. Kick ass up there in Ontario bro!
March 22nd, 2006 23:26
Good luck in Hamilton. Did you know I lived there once? Yup, 2 brothers and a sister born there. I think we lived on George St, fond memories but I was really little, kindergarten…lol.
Have a great race and eat chocolate after……wait can you eat chocolate yet???? lol.
March 23rd, 2006 06:35
Magnum icecream? Well, its creamy vanilla icecream smothered in rich, dark, thick, yummy Belgian chocolate. But at almost 300 calories I really only eat them after a loooong run when they taste just soooo good. Bliss on a stick!
Good luck for your 30km race.
March 24th, 2006 18:50
There’s no motivation like trying to catch a plane. Way to outrun the HS chicas. And good luck in the race! You’ll do great.
March 24th, 2006 20:10
Sounds much more like New Haven prep than Detroit prep going on there. Making that plane door is a good omen. Good luck!
And yes, the ibuprofin after the run is a good idea; whatever it takes to eliminate inflammation is a good thing.